10 things we learnt at the Virgin Racing Weekend

This past weekend Virgin Racing not only competed in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, they held their very own boutique festival at Stowe School, a short tractor – yes TRACTOR! – ride away from the race circuit. Apart from the agricultural vehicle-based excitement, lots of other brilliant stuff occurred. Here are 10 things we learnt at the Virgin Racing Weekend.

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10. TV really doesn't do the sheer speed, noise and atmosphere of Formula 1 justice. It is quite difficult for beginners to keep track of what is happening, but thrilling nonetheless.

9. Timo Glock and Lucas Di Grassi make a great double act off the track as well as on it. No stuffy PR spin from the Virgin Racing drivers as they addressed the fans, instead anecdotes about their love lives and some good-natured accusations of Lotus spies lurking in the crowd.

8. As Baz Lurhmann would testify, always wear sunscreen. But if you do, remember to rub it in properly, or you will look pretty silly all weekend.

7. Opening a bar, adding some haystacks and playing 'The Chain' by Fleetwood Mac is a guaranteed way of pleasing large numbers of F1 fans.

6. Those pop-up tents may be great when you pitch them – but when it is time to get them back in their bag they become an evil combination of Rubik's Cube and Killer Sudoku, with added flies buzzing around your head.

5. After you have watched F1, Formula 2, Formula 3 and Formula BMW all seem extremely slow and a little bit dull.

4. More gigs should take place on the back of trucks. Bands including the superb Brute Chorus performed at the Virgin Racing Weekend on a stage that doubles as a lorry. Great idea.

3. Ok, I know I mentioned the tractor transportation before, but it deserves to be praised again. No queuing to get into Silverstone, no hot sticky cars, just a tractor with a trailer on the back of it and the urge to put straw at a jaunty angle in your hat and pretend you are Huckleberry Finn.

2. Borrowing (ok, taking) a child's football for a drunken football penalty shoot-out at midnight in the dark is really fun, but those grass-stains won't come out of those jeans very easily and your foot may really hurt come Monday morning.

1. Not all Formula 1 fans idolise The Stig and/or Jeremy Clarkson. Lots of them seem nice people who all had a lovely time at the Virgin Racing Weekend, with plenty of sun and fun mixed in with some sporting entertainment.

Greg Rose and Dom Youdan